The New England Revolution have conceded 20 hat tips of their 30-year historical past, together with one this season by Orlando Metropolis SC’s Martin Ojeda in a 3-3 draw on Could 10.
So if there was one participant for the Revolution to mark tightly when the groups met once more on Saturday night time at Gillette Stadium, it was him.
However Ojeda as soon as once more had his method. The Argentinian attacker scored twice and Orlando received, 2-1, because the Revolution’s winless run reached eight video games — the membership’s longest since a nine-match winless streak in 2018.
New England (6-10-7, 25 factors) can’t appear to cease floundering because it approaches historic membership lows. Saturday’s consequence marked the primary time since 2011 — and solely the third time in franchise historical past — that New England has gone winless in six consecutive common season house video games. Now eight factors out of the Japanese Convention’s last playoff spot, the Revolution are 2-6-2 at house and haven’t received at Gillette Stadium since April 19.
In the meantime, Orlando (10-6-8, 38 factors) snapped their very own four-game winless run with a disciplined and structured efficiency.
Ojeda opened the scoring within the 18th minute. He discovered area between New England’s central defenders and introduced down Eduard Atuesta’s lengthy, over-the-top ball out of midfield earlier than rounding goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic and poking the ball into an open web.
“It’s just not a good goal to concede,” Revolution head coach Caleb Porter stated. “It’s a routine play. We always talk about it: when there’s no pressure on the ball, drop the line. You can see it coming. We didn’t do well enough there.”
New England got here out of halftime with extra vigor. Porter withdrew defender Tanner Beason for Tomas Chancalay, which gave the hosts additional numbers within the assault.
The tactical change yielded instant rewards, as Chancalay leveled the rating within the fifty fifth minute, drilling a shot previous Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese from contained in the field after latching onto Peyton Miller’s exact cross from the proper flank.
However the 1-1 rating lasted simply 72 seconds. Orlando responded swiftly, with Iván Angulo surging into the field earlier than squaring the ball to Ojeda, who hammered it previous Ivacic and in off the underside of the bar, as soon as once more exploiting a niche in New England’s shaky protection.
“We give the ball away and get punished,” Porter stated. “When you look at the group, they’re giving everything. They’re fighting, they’re running, they’re united — that’s clear. But the margins we need to turn are all mental. It’s just little moments where we switch off, and we lose a goal.”
5 of Ojeda’s 12 objectives this season have come in opposition to the Revolution, and he got here near recording one other hat trick.
Ivacic additionally tipped Ojeda’s long-range bid over the bar and stopped him from point-blank vary within the thirty third and 54th minutes, respectively.
The Revolution created just a few notable possibilities all through the match. Simply earlier than halftime, Carles Gil fired over the bar from shut vary (45+1′). Early within the second half, Gil stabbed one other effort into the aspect netting (53′) off Chancalay’s feed. Later, a chaotic sequence within the field noticed Miller get a shot off amid the scramble, however his effort was saved (74′) by a sprawling Gallese.
An introduced crowd of 24,954 confirmed spells of frustration, with boos ringing out on the halftime and full-time whistles, and sporadic “Fire Porter” chants. The Revolution will attempt to snap out of their rut subsequent Friday as they host the last-place Montreal Impression Gillette Stadium. With the playoff race starting to take form, the Revolution are in a rut with 11 video games remaining.
Seven of these fixtures are at house, together with every of the subsequent three.
“I think we have a good enough group to do better than we’ve done,” Porter added. “I really feel for them as a result of they’re giving the whole lot and never getting rewarded. I’ve to have a look at myself. I want to determine the best way to place them higher, the best way to get them extra centered. The buck at all times stops with me.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I take responsibility for the results. I still believe in the group. I still have confidence in them. I think they’re fighting for me. I think they’re giving me everything they have. That’s clear. I just wish we’d get one to go our way. At the end of the day, we need to win more games.”
Initially Printed:
